Just two days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited Benue State to address rising insecurity, suspected herdsmen have attacked Wannune, the hometown of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The incident occurred in Tarka Local Government Area and reportedly left multiple residents dead, with many others injured.
Eyewitnesses described the herdsmen attack as devastating, adding to the mounting security concerns in the region.
A youth corps member serving in the area described the chaos in stark terms, saying,
“Everyone is running into the bushes for safety. Please let Nigerians pray for us. The herdsmen are ravaging the environment now,” the corps member said in a desperate SOS message, appealing for swift action from security agencies.
This fresh outbreak of violence has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of President Tinubu’s recent intervention.
The president during his visit met with community stakeholders and instructed the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff to arrest those responsible for previous killings.
The attack on Wannune follows the horrifying massacre in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, where more than 200 people were slaughtered—a tragedy that ignited national outrage and condemnation.
Despite the President’s directives, the renewed killings have shaken public confidence and intensified calls for urgent and decisive action to halt the bloodshed in Benue and across Nigeria’s conflict-prone regions.